Audi has revealed a more powerful version of the S8 – the S8 Plus. It is expected to go on sale globally early next year, and the company claims that the S8 is the sportiest in the luxury car class.

The S8 Plus has the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine used by the standard 513bhp S8, but it has been uprated to make 597bhp here. It generates 71.34kgm of max torque in normal operation, but an overboost function can temporarily lift that to 76.45kgm. The S8 Plus has a claimed 0-100kph time of 3.8 seconds; top speed is limited to 250kph, but an optional dynamic package can aid it to speeds around 305kph. The dynamic package includes carbon-ceramic brakes and a modified sports exhaust system.

Visual differentiations include a glossy black front grille, blackened tail-lights and the glossy black diffuser. In the cabin, you have the contrasting red stitching on a full-black leather interior with brushed aluminium and piano black inserts. The S8 Plus also gets some more standard features like ambient lighting, power-assisted doors, 21-inch alloys and a DVD player.

The Audi S8 Plus rivals the likes of Mercedes-AMG S63.